Changes: Temporal shielding

Revision as of 06:05, 21 April 2008

Temporal shields are a theoretical technology that protects against weapons utilizing aspects of temporal science. Temporal shields also protect a vessel against changes in the timeline.

In an alternate timeline, temporal shielding was designed by the crew of the USS Voyager in 2374. In this timeline, Voyager came under attack by the Krenim, whose chroniton torpedoes were able to pass right through the starship's shields. It was discovered that these torpedoes were in a state of temporal flux, and thus their shields were useless.

Lieutenant Commander Tuvok and Seven of Nine worked on a way to modify the shields, eventually succeeding after they determined the temporal variance of the torpedoes by scanning an undetonated warhead lodged in a Jefferies tube. They changed the shield frequency to match it, and set the deflector to the inverse of the pulse. These modifications were proven effective in a later Krenim attack.

However, Voyager's temporal shields had the additional effect of producing a level-9 temporal disruption, throwing off the timeline calculations being made aboard the Krenim temporal weapon ship nearby. As a result, Annorax accidentally reverted the Krenim Imperium to a pre-warp state. He subsequently attempted to erase Voyager from history, but Voyager escaped.

Voyager later provided temporal shield technology to the Nihydron and the Mawasi, their allies in a joint attack on the weapon ship. Although their temporal shields protected them against changes in the timeline, they proved ineffective against a direct hit by the temporal weapon and two Nihydron warships were erased. The temporal shields around the fleet were ultimately taken offline, so that when the temporal weapon ship erased itself from history as a result of Voyager's kamikaze run, everything would be restored to its original state. (VOY: "Year of Hell", "Year of Hell, Part II")

Chakotay claimed that the Mawasi and Nihydron would have been able to protect their homeworlds against Annorax's weapon with temporal shields, but he may have been bluffing. There is no evidence that these shields exist in the "normal" timeline. However, it would be reasonable to assume that this, or a similar mechanism, must exist on 29th century timeships.

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 '''Temporal shields''' are a theoretical technology that protects against weapons utilizing aspects of [[temporal mechanics|temporal science]]. Temporal shields also protect a vessel against changes in the [[timeline]].
-In an [[alternate timeline]], temporal shielding was designed by the crew of the [[USS Voyager|USS ''Voyager'']] in [[2374]]. In this timeline, ''Voyager'' came under attack by the [[Krenim]], whose [[chroniton torpedo]]es were able to pass right through the [[starship]]'s [[shield]]s. It was discovered that these torpedoes were in a state of temporal flux, and thus their shields were useless.
+In an [[alternate timeline]], temporal shielding was designed by the crew of the {{USS|Voyager}} in [[2374]]. In this timeline, ''Voyager'' came under attack by the [[Krenim]], whose [[chroniton torpedo]]es were able to pass right through the [[starship]]'s [[shield]]s. It was discovered that these torpedoes were in a state of temporal flux, and thus their shields were useless.
 [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Tuvok]] and [[Seven of Nine]] worked on a way to modify the shields, eventually succeeding after they determined the temporal variance of the torpedoes by scanning an undetonated warhead lodged in a [[Jefferies tube]]. They changed the [[shield frequency]] to match it, and set the [[navigational deflector|deflector]] to the inverse of the pulse. These modifications were proven effective in a later Krenim attack.